Chapter 21: Behind the Mask
I sat on the ground beside the old man, making it clear that I had no ill intentions and wasn't there to support the candidate he despised. I remained silent, offering him my quiet presence as a gesture of solidarity.
After a while, the silence broke when the old man suddenly spoke.
"I used to be a loyal devotee of Pastor Jun," he said abruptly, his voice carrying a mix of anger and sorrow.
He paused, as if gathering the strength to continue, before he began recounting his story.
"I was so loyal, so devoted to him. I believed in him wholeheartedly. Whatever he asked me to do, I did without hesitation, and I served our little church with an open heart. We were almost the same age, but I held him in such high regard because of the way he delivered the word of God. I thought he was a righteous man, a man of unwavering faith."
The old man's voice cracked slightly as he continued.
"But everything changed the day my daughter came to pick me up from the church. Patricia—my beloved Patricia. She was beautiful, with flawless skin and a kind heart. She worked so hard in her studies, determined to pull us out of poverty. She was everything a father could ever hope for in a child."
He paused again, his hands trembling slightly.
"When Pastor Jun saw her, it was as if he was struck by lightning. He stared at her in a way that made me uneasy, his gaze far from pure. At first, I tried to dismiss it, telling myself I was just imagining things. But soon, I learned the truth—the man I had admired and followed for so long was nothing but a devil hiding behind the guise of a holy man."